Palm Sunday (Year A) 8/9 April 2017
Fellow Parishioners
This weekend we celebrate Palm Sunday when Christ was greeted with cheers and jubilation as He entered Jerusalem and His path was covered with the palms the crowds tore down from the trees.
Imagine what it would have been like to be part of that crowd, full of hope and looking forward to a new future. We would not have known what was to happen within a short time when the whole picture would change and all would appear to be lost.
As we begin our journey through Holy Week, let us reflect on how Christ suffered cruelly at the hands of the Roman authorities and His journey to the Cross to complete the will of His Father. Christ died for the sins of all mankind so I find myself reflecting on my part in His death, the sins I have committed and the loving forgiveness of Christ and His Heavenly Father.
Recalling our Parish pilgrimage to Oberammergau in 2000, I have never forgotten the sound of the nails being hammered into place – a cruel sentence for my sins. Yet Christ asked His father to forgive his accusers because they know not what they do. How many times have I known not what I do?
It is a sobering thought as Good Friday approaches and we begin our Parish celebration of the Triduum. I have always found Good Friday a time of reflection and hope that some of you will be able to join the Walks of Witness in Walton and Harwich – let us be brave, join with our fellow Christians and show the local community how we feel about our faith – we stand at the foot of the Cross to witness Christs’ death, acknowledge the emptiness without Him and wait until He enters the world again on Easter Day.
I look forward to seeing you all during our Holy Week services as we reignite our personal faith journeys.
Sheila Wright
Thought for the Week: Two thousand years ago on a hilltop in Jerusalem an event happened that was bigger than our whole world – and is still remembered in our time. Anon
Fifth Sunday in Lent Year A 1 / 2 April
Dear friends – Our Church Community.
Over the last week or so I have been thinking about our parish(s), our “faith community” and how God blesses it but also what we can do to co-operate with him to help it grow. Suddenly, everything I hear or read seems to be relevant to that thought.
Pope Francis says this;” God always forgives us. And it is precisely this that makes us grow as Gods people, as the Church: not our cleverness, not our merits- we are a small thing, it’s not that- but the daily experience of how much the Lord wishes us well and takes care of us. It is this that makes us feel that we are truly his, in his hands, and makes us grow in communion with him and one another. To be Church is to feel oneself in the hands of God, who is father and loves us, caresses us, waits for us and makes us feel his tenderness. And this is very beautiful”
In todays second reading St Paul reminds us that although we are sinners, the Spirit of God has made his home in us; in you and me. We become more fully alive and human when we acknowledge that we share Gods Spirit which gives us life and lives in us. I have been thinking that when we recognise God’s Spirit alive and working in each other our community grows in faith and love. I pray that our community continues to grow.
John Dobner
Fourth (Laetare) Sunday 25/26 March 2017
Fellow Parishioners
The Daily Missal for this Sunday in Lent shows a quote from Emeritus Pope Benedict XVI: These Sundays in Lent, the liturgy takes us on a true and proper baptismal route through the texts of John’s Gospel: last Sunday, Jesus promised the gift of “living water” to the Samaritan woman: today, by healing the man born blind, he reveals himself as “the light of the world”, next Sunday, raising his friend Lazarus, he will present himself as “the resurrection and the life”. Water, light and life are symbols of Baptism, the Sacrament that “immerses” believers in the mystery of the death and Resurrection of Christ, liberating them from sin and giving them eternal life.
This Sunday’s readings show us that God sees things differently to our human eyes. He sees much more because He sees right into the soul of everyone He created.
When Jesus found the man He had cured of blindness He asked him “Do you believe in the Son of Man?” the man replied, “Tell me who he is so that I may believe in him” when Jesus responded, “You are looking at Him; he is speaking to you” The man replied “Lord, I believe”.
When we hear the Lord calling to us, do we respond in faith or do we mishear the voice and not understand that God is speaking to each of us? The Lord calls us to go beyond ourselves and strive to achieve His dream for us. Who do we know that heard His voice and achieved great things through God’s mercy? Each of you will know someone who is and has been an inspiration in our lives. We need to keep inspiring others in the truth of the good news, so that everyone will know we are Christians by our love of each other and the wider community. Pope Francis is known for his smile when he meets everyone – let us all be the smile and light of Christ to all those we meet in the week ahead.
Sheila Wright
Thought for the week: “A relationship is like a house. When a light bulb burns out, you do not go and buy a new house, you fix the light bulb.” www.marriagecare.org.uk
Third Sunday in Lent (Year A) 18/19 March 2017
Dear friends,
In todays Gospel, Jesus says, “If only you knew what God was offering and who it is saying to you: Give me a drink, you would have been the one to ask, and he would have given you living water” and, “anyone who drinks the water that I shall give will never be thirsty again; the water that I shall give will turn into a spring inside him, welling up to eternal life.”
2000 years later, isn’t Pope Francis saying a similar thing, “ I invite all Christians, everywhere, at this very moment, to a renewed personal encounter with Jesus Christ, or at least an openness to letting him encounter them; I ask all of you to do this unfailingly each day. No one should think that this invitation is not meant for him or her, since no one is excluded from the joy brought by the Lord. The Lord does not disappoint those who take this risk; whenever we take a step towards Jesus, we come to realise that he is already there, waiting for us with open arms”.
Just as the Samaritan woman took a chance and really believed Jesus, whether we are 8 or 80, whether we are young or mature in our faith, we are also being asked to take a chance. I believe Pope Francis, that Jesus is waiting for us with open arms.
Lord, this lent help us to turn to you with courage. May your spring of living water, the Holy Spirit, well up inside us and our community.
John Dobner
Second Sunday in Lent (Year A) 12th March 2017
We are now settling into this penitential season of Lent, so we can start to look at ourselves and what we need to do to be better individuals for the Lord. We heard and know about the three main strands we need to follow during Lent, almsgiving, prayer and fasting.
I don’t know about you but I admit I find this way of being difficult at times, when at other times in my life I seem to be able to give, pray and fast, but not all the time! My aim for this Lenten season is to try to be more present to the Holy Spirit so that I can follow these three main strands and endeavour to be a better person – I leave you all to decide what is best for yourselves.
The readings for this Sunday send us enlightenment and give us the opportunity to see the transfigured face of Christ in our world. I wonder how much light we bring into the lives of others just by being there? And, who were the people who enlightened and brighten your lives and souls?
Lent is a wonderful time for reflection and those who attended The Journey on Sunday will vouch for the individual reflections we experienced courtesy of Mike and Jane.
As I said before, we live in times of uncertainty for many reasons outside of our control but the rhythms and traditions of our faith keep us rooted. Even when I get angry when I hear of terrible things that go on in the world I am just grateful that that gentle voice keeps me firmly on the straight and narrow – call it conscience or the Holy Spirit – I pray your voice is gentle on you too.
Please include the Parish, Deanery and Diocese in your prayer life this Lent as our Bishop, Clergy and Stewards of the Gospel work towards planning the future of our Diocese.
May this coming week be full of blessings for us all.
Sheila Wright
Quote for the week: – “Speak about Christ only when you are asked. But live so that people ask about Christ” Paul Claudel 1868-1955
First Sunday in Lent (Year A) 4/5 March 2017
What’s wrong? why the blank page?
-because sometimes we don’t know what we have until its missing !
As we enter this great season of Lent, I wanted to use this blank space to prompt us to think about a few things.In today’s Gospel, Jesus quotes from scripture saying, “ Man does not live on bread alone but by every word that comes from the mouth of God”. Where would we be with blank space instead of God’s word, his guidance and his promises? Can we do more this lent to read, listen to or think about God’s word and what he is saying to us?
This Lent can we create some blank space in our busy lives in order to renew our relationship with Christ and our neighbours?
Father open our ears to hear your word, open our minds to help us understand, and open our hearts to welcome your Holy Spirit into our lives
John Dobner